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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2020)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, September 2, 2020 County to pursue 3% marijuana tax By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County voters will decide whether marijuana users should pay a 3% tax on recreational marijuana products in November. After passing an emergency ordi- nance in 2018 to tax pot sales, Grant County officials returned $5,000 last year to Rocky Mountain Dispensary, the county’s sole marijuana retailer, because state law requires a pot tax to go to the voters during a statewide general election. In a 2019 press release, District Attorney Jim Carpenter said that “scrutiny by the Blue Mountain Eagle brought the issue to light, causing a reconsideration of the legality of the ordinance.” Carpenter said Rocky Mountain Dispensary had been collecting a rec- reational marijuana tax from its cus- tomers during the last quarter of 2018. “The retailer, in good faith, thought there was a tax and was desirous of giving back to the community per the earlier campaign to allow recreational marijuana sales within the county,” Carpenter said. The county, said Carpenter, needed an ordinance to receive the taxes, and The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Sonny Dryden, right, helps customer Desi Burril Thursday at the Rocky Moun- tain Dispensary. with the year coming to a close, they were running out of time, so they passed the ordinance. The problem was that the ordi- nance did not refer the tax measure to voters for approval, as required by state law. Haley Olson of Rocky Mountain Dispensary said she estimates that the tax would generate over $100,000 in revenue annually. “It’d be really substantial, she said. “I mean, that’s a significant amount of money for a community this small.” Meanwhile, Olson said the dispen- sary has voluntarily held the money back and donated to various commu- nity programs, from 4-H to the wres- tling team. “I have a huge chalk wall in my office, that is from floor to ceiling,” she said. “And I just donate to all kinds of stuff. We get to choose where it goes.” She said the only organization that has refused a donation has been the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue. County Judge Scott Myers said what he likes about the pot tax is that the only people who will be taxed are those purchasing marijuana products. “It’s a user tax,” he said. “So no one else is obligated to pay any of that tax. Only particular people pay it. No one will ever have to pay a pot tax here locally at least for now unless they’re buying products.” County Commissioner Jim Ham- sher said he supports the tax and said he had not heard any opposition to the ballot measure. He said he would like to see the money go to drug and alco- hol prevention programs in the county. “There are quite a few worthwhile prevention programs that go on in the county, and the funds would help some of those programs,” he said. Olson said the dispensary’s busi- ness is thriving and that she supports the ballot measure. She said the tax revenue could help the county. “They (county) could definitely use this 3%,” she said. “I think it’s great. I think it’s terrible that it took so long for them to do it, because retroactively they’ve missed out on $100,000 at least and that’s unfortunate for them, but if they put it on the ballot and they are successful, then I have no issues with it at all.” Olson said she is unsure voters will pass the measure. “This area doesn’t favor tax hikes,” she said. “But even if they don’t end up with their 3% (tax) we’ll still donate, because then we can still choose where it’s going.” A5 Steet Mountain Complex not expected to grow Blue Mountain Eagle The Steet Mountain Complex and Laurel Fire in the Monument area are not expected to grow. The fires were turned over to the John Day Unit of ODF’s Cen- tral Oregon District Friday, accord- ing to a press release. The Steet Mountain fires around Monument remain at 699 acres and were 90% contained at last update Thursday. The Laurel Fire 6 miles south of Spray remained at 1,257 acres and was 60% contained. Indian Creek Fire The Indian Creek Fire 9 miles west of Juntura was 48,128 acres and 75% contained at last update Saturday. Management of the fire was transferred to High Desert Type 3 Incident Management Team, under the command of Rob Gub- ser, Sunday. No further updates are anticipated. Search suspended last week for Hermiston man missing since Aug. 20 hours of search operations and 1,354 miles covered by vehicle. A ping from Lin- coln’s cellphone was located near Daniel Lincoln Soap Hill Road and Bridge Creek Road in the Ukiah area and a possible sighting of Lincoln passing through the North Fork John Day Camp- ground in Grant County was reported EO Media Group The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office suspended its search for Dan- iel Lincoln, the 37-year-old man missing from Hermiston, at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, according to a press release. The sheriff’s office began its search on Aug. 21 after family reported Lincoln missing to Herm- iston police on Aug. 20, the release stated, and was called off after 86 on Aug. 20. No other reports of pos- sible sightings have been reported since, the release stated. “The search will remain sus- pended unless, and until, new infor- mation requiring action is received,” the release stated. The search for Lincoln included his friends and family, two search and rescue ground teams from the sheriff’s office, other sheriff’s office personnel, along with law enforce- ment and personnel from the U.S. Forest Service and North Fork of the John Day Ranger District. Civil Air Patrol conducted a fly- over of the search area on Aug. 23 and two more on Aug. 24, and Linda Nave, a volunteer from Heppner, flew over the search area in her per- sonal aircraft on Aug. 25. Lincoln is described as a white male with red hair, blue eyes, and is 6-foot-1, 230 pounds. He was reported last seen wearing a dark green baseball cap with a subdued American flag, a dark-colored T-shirt, blue jean shorts and brown Romeo shoes with a worn-down sole. He was reportedly driving a black 2010 Jeep G Cherokee SUV with an Ore- gon license plate of 509GQN and a heart on the back window. According to an Aug. 24 press release, Lincoln may have also been armed with a revolver. Anyone with information can contact the Umatilla County dispatch center at 541-966-3651. COPS AND COURTS Assistance/Welfare check: Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforce- ment agencies. Every effort is made to report the court dispo- sition of arrest cases. 1 Search and Rescue: 2 Oregon State Police Aug. 23: OSP responded to the area of milepost 143 on Highway 26 for a reported ATV-vehicle crash. Investiga- tion revealed that the driver, a 26-year-old woman, was rid- ing an ATV eastbound on the eastbound shoulder of the road when she went to cross the highway without first look- ing behind her. The woman on the ATV drove directly into the path of an eastbound pickup towing a camp trailer. The pickup struck the ATV at an estimated 40-45 mph, ejecting the woman from the ATV. The woman on the ATV was trans- ported via ambulance to Blue Mountain Hospital with appar- ent minor injuries. The driver of the pickup and his passen- ger were not injured, and their vehicle was driven from the scene. The woman on the ATV admitted to not looking before trying to cross the highway. OSP issued the woman a cita- tion for careless driving-acci- dent involved. Aug. 23: OSP stopped a vehicle for failure to main- tain lane near milepost 162 on Highway 26. The driver had his child in the vehicle with him. The driver showed signs of impairment and consented to standard field sobriety tests. The driver performed poorly on the tests and was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants. The driver was transported to the Grant County Jail where he refused a breath test. A warrant was applied for Grant County Circuit Court Efrain G. Camacho, 32, pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to felon in possession of a firearm com- mitted on May 11. He was sen- tenced to serve 30 days in jail and 18 months of supervised probation and to pay a $1,000 fine. Nathan L. Goranier, 35, pleaded guilty Aug. 27 to a count of driving under the influence of intoxicants com- mitted on June 6. He was sen- tenced to serve 10 days in jail, 24 months of supervised proba- tion and 120 hours of commu- nity service and to pay $2,355 in fines. A count of violating the speed limit was dismissed. Steven M. Spry, 23, pleaded guilty on Aug. 26 to fourth-de- gree assault committed on June 22. He was sentenced to serve 18 months of probation and 80 hours of community service and to pay a $100 fine. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported the following for the week of Aug. 26: Concealed handgun licenses: 12 Average inmates: 11 Bookings: 11 Releases: 10 Arrests: 0 Citations: 4 Fingerprints: 6 Civil papers: 9 Warrants processed: 1 and granted. The driver con- sented to a breath test after pre- sented with the warrant. The driver, Blain S. Ross, 37, of John Day had a blood alcohol content of 0.09%. He was cited for driving under the influence and reckless endangering. The vehicle was secured on scene at the owner’s request. Aug. 24: OSP conducted a traffic stop for speed viola- tion on Highway 26 near mile- post 160. OSP contacted a the driver, Destiny D. Nolan, 19, of Prairie City. After fur- ther investigation, OSP con- sent searched the vehicle. OSP located less than an ounce of marijuana. Nolan was cited for a speed violation and minor in possession of marijuana and minor under 21 that possesses or consumes while operating a motor vehicle. Aug. 25: OSP received a report of a vehicle traveling on State Road 19, near Kimberly, in Grant County. The report- ing party advised they were traveling with a group of peo- ple, and they were being held against their will in the vehicle. The reporting party said one of the men inside the vehicle had a large machete. As OSP was in route, OSP located the vehicle near milepost 134 on Highway 26. OSP stopped the vehicle. After further investi- gation, OSP placed Jonathan J. McDonnell, 22, in custody without incident for second-de- gree disorderly conduct. McDonnell was transported to the Grant County Jail where he was booked and lodged. The driver, Clay R. Hansen, 23, was issued a citation for driv- ing while suspended and driv- ing uninsured. The vehicle was towed by Doug’s Motor Vehi- cle Repair. Aug. 26: The driver of a 2008 Ford Focus was south- bound on Dog Creek Road when she fell asleep at the wheel. The Focus drove off the roadway and slid down a steep embankment that bor- ders the southbound lane. The Focus came to rest in a field. The driver was uninjured. The driver arranged for her own tow. Aug. 28: OSP went out with the John Day Police Department on a vehicle stop near milepost 1 on Highway 395C to contact the passen- ger regarding a follow up on a case. The passenger, Nicole C. Schaffer, 24, of Mt. Vernon had a misdemeanor warrant out of Grant County for third-de- gree theft. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the jail would not accept Schaffer on the warrant. OSP issued Schaffer a citation in lieu of custody with a future court date at Grant County Jus- tice Court. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 155 calls during the week of Aug. 23-30, including: • John Day Police Department Aug. 27: Responded to a report of a domestic dispute on Southwest Fifth Street. Aug. 28: Received a report of a dog at large on East Main Street. 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Aug. 29: Along with John Day ambulance and JDPD, responded to a report of an unresponsive woman on North Humbolt Street. Del- bert Snode, 67, of Vancouver, Washington, was arrested for criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. • John Day ambulance Aug. 27: Received a call for a 70-year-old woman on Blue Heron Drive. Aug. 28: Responded for an 82-year-old man who had fallen on Northwest First Avenue. Aug. 30: Responded for a 43-year-old man on Franks Creek. • John Day fire Aug. 25: Dispatched for a grass and brush fire on High Ridge Lane. GREAT Save Now On Home Security LOW Monitored by ADT ® the #1 PRICE Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator Imagine The Difference You Can Make 36, of Salem was cited for driv- ing while suspended and driv- ing uninsured on West Main Street. Aug. 28: Cited Heidi M Baker, 56 of Crooked River Ranch for speeding on High- way 26 near milepost 163. Aug. 28: Keatley M. 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